Margin Call

J.C. Chandor's 2011 film covers twenty-four hours at an investment bank at the start of the 2008 crisis. An analyst finds an error in the figures. The meetings run through the night. The film does not drown the crisis in technical terms; the narrative makes responsibility being passed upward, floor by floor, its real subject. It is the director's first feature. The screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award. Jeremy Irons and Paul Bettany are among the cast. Who it's for: those who like corporate thrillers. Who it's not for: viewers who avoid Kevin Spacey's films because of the accusations against him.